High nitrites

**Slapa** · 06-19-2011, 10:10 AM

Hi everyone

Im trying to cycle my tank but the nitrites just keep getting higher.
Ive been doing water changes but keeps going up heres my test results for this week monday, wednesday, friday and today
Mon
Nitrite 0.05
Amonia 0.1
Nitrate between 10-20
Ph 7.5

Wed
Nitrite 0.1
Amonia 0
Nitrate between 10-20
Ph 7.5

Friday
Nitrite between 0.2-0.4
Amonia 0
Nitrate between 10-20
Ph 7.5

Sunday
Nitrite between 0.8-1.0
Amonia 0
Nitrate between 10-20
Ph 7.5

I really dont know whats goin on everything else is where it should be any help would by great.
Many thanks lee

**imma24** · 06-19-2011, 11:14 AM

From what I've read in this forum, the nitrite spike will last longer than the ammonia spike - once the nitrites start staying at 0, you will see your nitrates go up more - are you cycling with fish? Asking because you have been doing water changes. It's my understanding that if you are cycling without fish, there is no need to change the water until you want your nitrates to go down in order to add fish in the end.

**Slapa** · 06-19-2011, 11:59 AM

Ye got fish in the tank and been cycling for 2 weeks now and the amonia got to 0.1 for a day then has been at 0 ever since but the nitrites keep goin up and why arent i getting any amonia showing up.

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-19-2011, 02:40 PM

You have grown enough ammonia eating bacteria with your current stock so are showing 0 ammonia. The nitrite eating bacteria is not guite yet matured enough so you still are seeing it. It will drop to 0 as well unless you start cleaning your filter or mess the cycle up in some way.

Nitrites are as toxic as ammonia so do water changes to bring it down but don't do other cleaning. You may have to do a 50% water change today and again tomorrow. Two weeks is a short cycle with fish so I assume you haven't many in the tank? Add no more fish until you have 0/0 and less than 20 in nitrates.

**gm72** · 06-19-2011, 02:55 PM

Yes, what Lady Hobbs said, exactly.

**Slapa** · 06-19-2011, 03:31 PM

Thanks hobbs i have done a 50% change today and will test again tomorow and if needed will do another change. I have only got 5 zabra danios in a 300ltr tank is that enough. I havnt done any cleaning at all not touching anything till the cycle is complete

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-19-2011, 03:47 PM

Yes, it is cycling properly altho a very, very small amount of bacteria has been grown with so few fish in so much water. You will probably have a bit of a spike after each addition of new fish. 5 Danios in nearly 80 gallons of water certainly couldn't have given you much bacteria at all.

PS......what do you plan to stock in this tank? Also, what kind of test kit do you have? I'm not familiar with .05? Do you mean 0.50?

**Slapa** · 06-19-2011, 05:12 PM

I have a jbl master test kit that you have to take water samples and add reagents to the sample then match the color of the water to the chart. The nitrite chart have heasures from 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and so on untill you get to 1.0. As for fish i cant decide i did want cichlids but you have to have them on there own and dont want just one type of fish, so was thinking a male betta a ruby shark a nice size pleco is there any type of cichlid that i could put with those fish

**Slapa** · 06-19-2011, 08:52 PM

Ive been lookin around and made a list of what i would like to put in my tank tell me what you think.
There are 5 zebra danios already and i would like to add but not all at once the following
6 x cory cats
1 x ruby shark
1 x betta
1 x pleco
1 x opaline gourami
1 x blue gourami
1 x royal red dwarf gourami
4 x clown loach
2 x red crabs

Let me know what you think

**imma24** · 06-19-2011, 11:16 PM

I"m still new at compatability but I am suspecting that a betta is probably not a good bet with some of the other fish due to its long fins and I also wonder whether the crabs are a good idea. Hopefully someone who has more experience with compatibility issues will chime in here before you get these fish.